What's Your Nature?
Become a Nature Up North explorer to share your encounters with wild things and wild places in New York's North Country. Post your wildlife sightings, landscape shots, photos from your outings, and even your organization's events!
Snake v. Frog!!!
A common ribbon snake caught a grey frog, and the frog was fighting for its life. However, it did not escape.
Dog-day cicada emerging from cocoon
While on a water sampling event with HEOP students, we encountered a dog-day cicada (according to iNaturalist) on a tree next to the river. It was still waking up and sitting on the shell of its cocoon. Next to it was another cocoon of the same species, but the other insect must have flown off by the time we got there.
An afternoon on the Grasse.
Our first kayak trip on the Grasse River.
The water level is low and with a barely moving flow, it was very relaxing paddle.
We barely saw any wildlife for the first 20 minutes or so, but it picked up nicely after that.
We were able to see a Cuckoo, muskrat, quite a few Ceder Waxwing were picking bugs out of the air, a small area patrolled by Killdeer, and hundreds of frogs among other things, some that would watch us as we watch them.
Rockin Rollers: The Beatles' Endless Tour
Greek mythology holds that Zeus punished the murderous tyrant-king Sisyphus by banishing him to Tartarus for eternity, where he has to roll a big rock up a hill, only to have it tumble back down as he nears the top. Big deal – he got off easy.
Explore Aquatic Wildlife at Hart's Falls
Come out to Hart's Falls Preserve on Saturday, August 2nd, at 9 am for an event all about aquatic species. The St. Lawrence Land Trust, in partnership with Nature Up North, will be leading a series of activities to showcase the aquatic biodiversity present above and below Hart's Falls. We'll be deploying minnow traps and getting in the water to sample macroinvertebrates (small aquatic bugs). Anything we catch will be shared in the aquaria so we can get a closer look. We can't promise what we will catch, but we hope to find small fish, crawfish, and a variety of macroinvertebrates.
The Story of St Lawrence's State Parks
The North Country is home to a rich set of state parks, but have you ever wondered how these beautiful, serene places came to be? Many of them sit on land that was once heavily used for logging, even before the timber industry dominated the landscape. These sites are the historical lands of the Mohawk and Iroquois, which are members of the Haudenosaunee.
Baby Great Horned Owl!
A baby great horned owl was moved from the grates in front of Newell Field House and into a nearby tree. This bird has just fledged from the nest, as it's too big to stay there, and can now start learning to fly. The owl's parents leave it hidden during the day and then return at night to feed the owl!
Sandstone: From the Sea to the Street
Join us on Friday, July 25th at 4:00 PM at the Sandstone Trail head in Hannawa Falls for Sandstone: From the Sea to the Street, an engaging evening of storytelling, science, and discovery. Together, we’ll explore the incredible journey of Potsdam Sandstone, from its origins beneath ancient Cambrian seas to the streets and buildings of the North Country. 🪨
Through a small exploration walk, local history, and close-up looks at real rock samples, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the landscapes around us and the stories embedded in stone. This free program is open to all! 🧱🔍
Growing Together Gardenshare Dinner Series
GardenShare is working hard to help people in our community with access to healthy, local food. With St. Lawrence County farmers markets in full swing, GardenShare is having an amazing season. Through the SNAP token program, as well as the Double Up Food Bucks program, we have been able to help facilitate several thousand dollars in SNAP transactions at our farmers markets. We have also given out over $15,000 in Bonus Bucks funds, which are matched by participants and help to provide them with healthy, local food.
Introduced Pest v Introduced control.
I spotted a Japanese Beetle out in the yard on a plant, at first it concerned me a little as I know they have no natural predators to keep them in check in the USA.
They eat leaves, leaving behind only the veins as adults, and consume roots as grubs.
Left unchecked they can wreak havoc.
But the introduced Winsome Fly will lay eggs on the beetle body, which when they hatch will enter the beetle and start consuming it, starting with the parts which give the beetle the ability to fly.